This elegant cranberry almond tart with its creamy frangipane filling studded with cranberries will be the bright light on your winter holiday table. One bite and you may never go back to pecan or pumpkin pie again!ย
Cranberry and almond is such a naturally delicious combination, especially as we head into the winter months. I’m always looking for creative ways to use fresh cranberries – I hoard them because I can’t get enough of their explosive sweet tart flavor. Consider this cranberry almond tart as a lighter, brighter alternative to traditionally heavy holiday desserts. It’s become a new tradition in our house!
popular cranberry dessert recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas
a little bit binds the filling and gives it structure.
almond extract
the extract gives the filling that classic almond flavor, so don’t skip it.
fresh cranberries
powdered sugar, for topping
what is frangipane?
Frangipane is a classic nut-based pastry filling usually made with ground almonds. You’ll often find it in European baked goods like almond croissants, or traditional bakery-style fruit tarts. It’s simple to make, and incredibly luxe and delicious as the base for a tart. If you’ve never had it before, it has a very moist, dense texture with a very slight chew to it. The buttery, sweet flavor of almond frangipane contrasts perfectly with tart, juicy cranberries in this recipe.
You can use other nuts to make a frangipane, as well. My maple pecan frangipane pie is one of the most requested recipes in my family — it features a frangipane made with toasted pecans instead of almonds and is absolutely divine.
3tips for a no-fuss flaky pie crust
Pie crust is one of those things that seems to trip people up and stress them out — I’ve never really understood it, to be honest, but maybe that’s because I take a more relaxed approach to making a simple pie or tart crust. If you’re feeling the pressure, here is my best advice:
My no-fail pie crust recipe is made right in the food processor which means two things: It’s very easy and fast to put together, and by letting the machine do the work, the butter stays nice and cold which helps ensure a flaky crust.
You want to work relatively quickly when you’re rolling out and shaping your pie crust – the longer it stays at room temperature, the more the butter content is going to have a chance to melt. When you’re done placing your crust into your tart pan, place the whole thing in the fridge to keep it cold while you make the filling.
Make sure you bake this tart completely and that your oven is set to the correct temperature to ensure that the crust is golden brown and fully baked. That being said, a crust that is slightly underdone or slightly more golden brown then you see here is still going to taste delicious, so don’t stress!
want to change things up?
Use pecans instead of almonds for a cranberry pecan tart.
To make pecan meal process the nuts in a food processor until evenly ground and fluffy. You can toast them first if you like.
Make a gluten free cranberry almond tart
Use your favorite gluten free readymade crust or crust recipe. Swap a gluten free baking mix for the small amount of all purpose flour in the filling.
Use cherries instead of cranberries
If you find cranberries too tart, you can use cherries. Check out my Cherry Almond Tart for inspiration.
Cranberry Almond Tart
5 from 4 votes
This cranberry almond tart recipe is a beautiful alternative to traditional Thanksgiving pie and a showstopper for Christmas or New Year's dessert.
Roll out your pie crust into a roughly 12 inch circle. Line the 10 inch tart pan or pie plate with the crust, pinching any excess from the edges. Place in the refrigerator to chill while you continue.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Be sure to scrape down your bowl as you work.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and scrape down the bowl. Mix in the flours and almond extract.
Spread the mixture into the pie shell and top with the cranberries, pressing them into the filling slightly. Fit them in nice and snugly.
Place the unbaked tart on a metal baking sheet (to catch any leakage) and bake for about 50-55 minutes until golden and firm to the touch.
Allow to cool before carefully removing the tart from the tart pan, and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
Notes
I went all-out with the cranberries in this recipe, and as a result, you definitely notice their natural tartness in the final result.If you want something that leans a little less tart, I recommend using fewer cranberries and spacing them out a little bit more than I have here.ย
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Did You Make This?We love seeing what you’ve made! Tag us on social media at @theviewfromgreatisland for a chance to be featured.
more festive desserts for the winter holidays
Chocolate Ganache Tart
4.66 from 129 votes
My decadent Chocolate Ganache Tart is the perfect chocolate dessert for any occasion ~ easily converted to gluten free, vegan and keto!
Pumpkin Spice Crisp is the new gold standard for pumpkin desserts, sorry not sorry pumpkin pie, we're going a different way this Thanksgiving, and we're super excited about it. This fluffy pumpkin crisp is outta this world delicious.
Made this and it was a huge hit! Absolutely EVEYONE loved it and several folks raved about the almond flavors and texture. Personally loved the crust but will work harder at making it more “even” all the way around next time. Swapped out Bob’s cup for cup baking flour and it worked great.
I made this beautiful tart as our Christmas dessert and it was a showstopper indeed! It was easy to make and tasted amazing- compliments all around and photographed beautifully too. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Side note, I made your cranberry mousse pie for Christmas last year!
I canโt wait to make this next week to take to my parents. We are traveling a long distance so I was wondering how long this lasts and if it needs refrigeration. Just discovered your site and I am enjoying your fresh cranberry muffins right now. Thank you
Hey there ~ I'm Sue. I love to make delicious food, photograph it, and write about it, but mostly, I just love to EAT. Isn't that what it's all about? My recipes are creative, vibrant, and totally approachable no matter what your skill level. Let's grab a bite together!
Made this and it was a huge hit! Absolutely EVEYONE loved it and several folks raved about the almond flavors and texture. Personally loved the crust but will work harder at making it more “even” all the way around next time. Swapped out Bob’s cup for cup baking flour and it worked great.
This was a hit!
I made this beautiful tart as our Christmas dessert and it was a showstopper indeed! It was easy to make and tasted amazing- compliments all around and photographed beautifully too. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Side note, I made your cranberry mousse pie for Christmas last year!
Can I make this a day before?
Yes that will be fine. You can leave it out at room temp or refrigerate.
Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour?
Yes, sure.
I canโt wait to make this next week to take to my parents. We are traveling a long distance so I was wondering how long this lasts and if it needs refrigeration. Just discovered your site and I am enjoying your fresh cranberry muffins right now. Thank you
It depends on how long the distance is. The tart can remain at room temperature for up to a day. After that I might refrigerate it.
superb tart! I ground my own almonds and toasted them a little. used a lot of fresh cranberries!
Toasting the almonds is a great idea!
Can I use frozen cranberries?
You can, just make sure they aren’t covered with frost or anything like that.